


The Story

by ArchOfImagine



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Art, Bottom Castiel, DCBB, Dean/Cas Big Bang Challenge 2014, Fluff, How They Met, Kidfic, Lotssss of fluff, M/M, Schmoop, Top Dean, in chapter 18 there is 'implied' major character death, life story, you do not need to read that chapter to understand the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 18:05:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 21,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2397800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchOfImagine/pseuds/ArchOfImagine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>In school we are taught that every good story has a beginning, middle, and end. What they don’t teach us, is that every great story involves so much more than that.</i> </p><p>This is not just any story. This is the story of the cafe owner with a green mohawk and the bakery owner next door that is struggling to stay in business. The story of their imperfect love, their beautiful daughters, and the way that life draws to a close.</p><p>  <i>"If I were to describe heaven, it would be spending another lifetime with you."</i></p><p><b>Warning:</b> All good stories have an end. Chapter 18 of this fic involves strictly 'implied' major character death. You can avoid that chapter and still enjoy The Story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have a long list of people to thank for helping me with this. First and foremost, my lovely betas: [hufflecas](hufflecas.tumblr.com) and CroissantofDestiny. Betas are like the lifeblood that keeps an author moving.
> 
> Also, my FABULOUS artist, [deadpai](deadpai.tumblr.com) who arted like there was no tomorrow and brought this whole story to life. She made my first Big Bang experience wonderful!
> 
> Masterpost for the art included can be found [here!](http://deadpai.tumblr.com/post/99073848601/)

_The source of all evil can be found at a Vegan Bakery._

Sandwich of the Day: The Shapeshifter (Just what kind of meat _is_ that?)

\- - - - -

Castiel Novak probably hated the rock music the most.

Or maybe it was the black Impala that always had to be parked right in front of his door.

It could also be the fact that when the owner of the new café next door decided to name his business, he thought it would be funny to mock the name of the company next door.

They said no publicity was bad publicity but the day he saw a picture of the two storefronts on the internet, he felt his heart sink. There was his pride and joy, the business he had built from the ground up, half hidden behind a big black car so that all you could see was the sign. _Heaven's Bakery_.

And its new, now famous, neighbor... _Hell's Cafe_.

He had only seen the owner of Hell's Cafe in passing (usually when he was climbing out of his car _right_ in front of Cas' store) and had never actually spoken to him. But he hated him.

What self-respecting business owner had green hair? Sure it matched his eyes—oh, those eyes—but Cas didn't even want to think about the time he googled Dean Winchester, Hell's Cafe and stared at those green eyes for ten minutes. But a green mohawk? _Really?_

Castiel ran a calming hand down his white apron before checking his cupcake cases once more. He scanned each row for imperfections, before moving to give his homemade chocolates the same scrutiny.

Everything was perfect.

And full.

Almost two in the afternoon and the only time the door had opened was for the mailman.

It was so dead that he could make out every word of the Metallica song playing next door. And could hear every time Hell's Cafe's door opened to a new customer.

Shaking his head, Castiel turned his back on the perfect (-ly full) cases of baked goods and walked into the back room. Amongst the ovens and mixers, the tables laid out for frosting wedding cakes, and the shelves of flour and sugar sat his small desk with a laptop that was so old it was probably a first edition.

The space he rented for Heaven's Bakery also had an office that opened off of the backroom. His desk wouldn't fit in there.

With his air mattress and dresser of clothes (and everything else he owned that didn't fit in his car) the office was pretty full.

Castiel Novak still couldn't understand why he continued to run a business that was obviously failing miserably.

\- - - - -

It was the smell that drove him insane.

The constant aroma of fresh baked, sugary confections. Dean couldn't handle it. Even over the scent of the onion he was chopping he could still make out a hint of _cake_.

It was a good thing Heaven's Bakery only had pies on the menu for special occasions and holidays.

His bank account would be empty if he had fresh baked pies right next door.

A dog’s bark tore his attention away from the yummy goodness being baked next door. He looked through the partition that separated the kitchen with the counter and seating area, and smiled at the sight of his brother. "Sammy!"

Leaving the onions for later, he wiped his hands off on his apron and moved into the front of the café. "Got your sandwich already made," he said, giving his brother a hug.

Sam hugged him back before leaning down to give Ruby, the café's resident black lab, a pat on the head. "Thanks Dean."

"How are the kids?"

Sam taught kindergarten at an Elementary school three blocks up the road. He had made it one term studying pre-law before he decided it wasn't the career for him. "Buzzed. With spring break in a couple of days, they can't focus on anything."

Dean slid Sam's favorite sandwich across the counter to him and Sam knew better than to even try to pay. His older brother would hear nothing of it.

"Well, if you feel like having them do another art project, the wall could do with some updating." Dean nodded towards the largest wall in the café; it was currently covered with drawings (or attempts, at least) of Ruby.

Sam smiled at the would-be mural before grabbing the bottle of water Dean held out to him. "I'll see what we can come up with."

A few minutes later, Sammy left and a group of businessmen walked in. Dean helped them before finally making it to the back to finish his prep work. He was just finishing up when he heard Ruby once more out front. This time when he looked out, he noted she wasn't barking at a customer, but rather wanting to be let outside.

Dean smiled, whistling for the dog to follow him down the small hallway to the back door. Most days he let the dog run out back to the empty lot and didn't pay her much mind. She would bark once she was ready to be let back in.

That day was different. As soon as Ruby stepped out of the door, she caught sight of a small orange cat. Instincts kicked in and Ruby ran for the cat, chasing it in a flurry of black fur and loud barks. He saw the cat head up a tree in fear and heard a loud shout from the back of Heaven's Bakery.

"Bad dog! No! _Bad_!"

Dean watched in amusement as his neighbor ran towards the base of the tree, yelling at Ruby the whole way. When the dark haired man finally made it to the tree, he bypassed Ruby and began climbing—white apron and all.

He had never seen something so amusing. Walking towards the tree, Dean didn't immediately call off Ruby. Mainly because it would completely ruin the fun he was having.

When the other man saw him, he was glaring and pulling the orange tabby into his arms. "Is this your mutt?"

The man's anger was palpable. Dean shrugged, leaving ten feet between him and the tree. "If by ‘mutt’ you mean purebred black labrador, then yes, she is my mutt."

"Well can you... do _something_ so that she doesn't kill my poor cat?"

He contemplated continuing to mock the man, but knew it wasn't worth it. "Ruby, heel."

The barking immediately stopped and the dog backed away from the tree. Dean stepped closer, looking up at the branch where the man sat. Without much thought, he pulled out his cellphone and raised it up to take a picture. It was just _too_ funny.

"You did not just take a picture of me," the man complained.

Dean smirked. "I think this will go on my wall in the café. _Classic_." He pocketed his phone and looked down at Ruby. "Go do your business." She glared up the tree before huffing and walking off to use the bathroom like she had requested in the first place. Dean looked back up. "So, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Dean Winchester."

"Castiel Novak," was the reply he received. Castiel wasn't focused on him, though. Instead, he was looking down at the tree and obviously trying to see how he was going to get down.

"Need some help?"

"No!" He began to move, ever wary of the cat in his arms.

Dean watched, still amused by the whole scene. When he saw Castiel's foot going towards a branch that seemed to be dying he opened his mouth, ready to warn him.

But it was too late. The branch cracked, and Dean could see the realization hitting Castiel's face right before it snapped and he began to fall.

Dean reacted on instinct, stepping beneath the other man and bracing for the impact of the other body hitting his.

He still ended up flat on his back.

Castiel groaned. Dean would have done the same if he could breath.

Barely affected by the fall, Castiel's orange tabby crawled out from between them and ran back towards the bakery.

As seconds passed, Dean continued to lay on his back with Castiel on top of him. He was afraid to move, worried that the other man was hurt. "You okay?" he finally managed.

"Yes. Sorry." Castiel slowly rolled away. "Was trying not to have a heart attack."

Dean took a quick check to make sure nothing was broken, before finally sitting up. His hand moved to his head where an instant headache had begun. "Shit. I'm going to be feeling that tomorrow."

"Agreed."

When they were both standing, Castiel looked around nervously before giving Dean an uneasy smile. "Thanks for catching me."

Dean shrugged, whistling to call for Ruby as he began walking towards the café. He probably had a line of customers waiting. "Not a problem." Stopping at the doorway to his shop, he turned back and smiled at Castiel, who had almost made it back to the bakery. "Hey, Cas?"

Castiel stopped and looked towards him. "Yeah?"

"Next time you lay me out on my back, make sure it's on a comfortable surface, okay?"

The other man looked dumbfounded by the comment. Dean smirked and turned to follow Ruby back inside.


	2. Chapter 2

_Turducken: A bunch of birds shoved up inside each other... Shouldn't play God like that._

Sandwich of the day: That one we sold our soul for!

\- - - - -

As Castiel pulled his _third_ batch of cupcakes from the oven, he tried to figure out what had happened in his life to completely turn things around. A week had passed since he had unceremoniously landed on the owner of Hell's Café, and in that time... business had been booming. It was absolutely magical.

Hearing the bell ring from the door, he left the cupcakes to cool and stepped out to the front. When he noticed the tall (which had to be the biggest understatement in the world) man standing there, he smiled. "Can I help you find something?"

The man's face seemed to radiate happiness as he offered Cas his hand. "Are you Castiel? I'm Sam Winchester; my brother owns the café next door."

There wasn't much of a resemblance, but Castiel couldn't help but wonder how good looking their parents must be, having bred _two_ hot sons. "Please, call me Cas. It's nice to meet you, Sam. I'm guessing your brother told you about our _incident_ last week?"

Sam nodded with a soft laugh. "He did. In fact he's already framed the picture and set it up on the front counter."

"Of course." Cas shook his head as he realized that all of Dean's customers were now seeing how much of an idiot he was. "So is there something I can grab for you, Sam?"

"Actually, I'm thinking about placing a special order." He picked up one of the menus and looked through it with a slight frown. "I'm wanting something for two weeks from now, is that enough time?"

Having grabbed his order clipboard and a pen, Cas stepped up in front of Sam and nodded. "Definitely. I don't have any other large order commitments until about a month from now when I have a wedding."

The menu was placed back down on the counter and Sam met his gaze. "I need pies. Three of them, to be exact." Before Cas could argue, Sam raised a hand to stop him. "I know, I’ve seen the note on your menu—pies are a holiday season thing only. Unfortunately... Dean is a picky guy, and pie is his favorite."

As Castiel opened his mouth to agree to the special request he realized that he was making the decision based on Dean, rather than anything else. If it was for Dean... then it was okay. He had no idea why, though.

Maybe it was because the other man had jumped beneath him when he fell from that tree out back. He had risked injury to save Cas and his cat.

"Is it his birthday?"

"Actually, no," Sam laughed. "It's our mother's. Dean is providing the location and the food, so I agreed to handle everything else—including dessert."

Now Cas was confused. "Wouldn't your mother prefer a cake?"

"Probably. But if I got one, she would refuse to eat it because Dean would sulk over it not being pie." Sam shook his head, obviously struggling to describe the oddities of his family dynamic. "Dean is maybe a little bit spoiled. Well, we both are, but he is more so. After our father died, Dean took over the role of man of the house, despite many arguments from my mother. So she shows her thanks by letting him get away with murder."

"Pie it is." Castiel smiled, picturing in his mind the image of Dean, green hair in a mohawk, driving a bad ass car.... and being a big momma's boy. "Any particular kind?"

"One apple. One pecan. And the third... surprise us. Something maybe a little unusual that will surprise Dean and Mom. Don't worry about food allergies; the only thing those two are allergic to is eating healthy."

Castiel laughed, jotting down notes on the order form. Once he had everything he needed from Sam—including dates and payment—he gave him a copy of the form and promised to create pies good enough to blow the socks off of Sam's picky family.

"Thanks Cas," Sam replied. He waved, turning to head towards the front exit. Pausing with his hand on the door, he turned back. "How has business been, by the way?"

"Amazing," he called across the space between them. "This past week has been the best on record."

Sam grinned, glancing out the door towards Hell's Cafe, before giving Cas one last look. "Good."

As Cas watched the door closing behind Sam's large frame, a realization dawned on him: the large black Chevy was no longer parked in front of his shop.

When had it moved? Had it been there earlier in the day?

He honestly couldn't remember. He had spent so much time helping customers and baking fresh goods that he hadn't paid any attention to the shop’s exterior surroundings.

Moving out from behind the counter, he crossed the space without even thinking about it and made it to the front door. Pushing it open, he ducked his head out and looked both ways to see where the Impala was parked. It wasn't out front; Dean had either parked it in back, or hadn't driven it that day.

Then something else caught his attention.

Sitting in front of Hell's Cafe was a sandwich board. He had seen it before -- it usually held funny sandwich related sayings or daily specials.

That day, there was something different written.

Something that almost brought tears to Castiel's eyes.

' _Lunch + Dessert. Bring in a receipt from Heaven's Bakery and get 10% off your sandwich order_.'

\- - - - -

Wednesday night always meant dinner together at the Winchester family home. Despite the fact that her boys were grown and had their own lives, Mary still made them promise to spend one night a week with her so that she could remain caught up on their lives.

That particular week, amongst the stories about how Sam was enjoying spring break, and Dean was busier than ever with the café, Sam decided his older brother was due to receive some ribbing.

"So Mom," he began, looking up at his mother over his plate of fajitas, "has Dean told you about his new friend?"

Dean's glare was immediate, causing Sam to bite back a laugh.

"New friend?" Mary turned her attention to her oldest son. "He has not, Sammy. What should I know about this friend?"

Despite Dean kicking him beneath the table, Sam continued on—just like he had when they were teenagers. "His name is Castiel. Dean caught him when he fell out of a tree last week. He owns the bakery right beside the café."

Her face lit up immediately. "Oh! I love that place. He makes the best almond bark during the holidays."

Sam laughed. "He's going to be making Dean bark soon."

The anger coming off of Dean was palpable, but he knew better than to curse in front of their mother. "He's a nice guy. Ruby ran his cat up the tree so I called her off, then he slipped after climbing up to get the cat."

"How sweet," Mary whispered.

"Mom, please don't."

She gave her eldest son an innocent look -- one that he had both inherited and knew well. "Don't what?"

"Try matchmaking again. We all know how the last time worked out."

Sam snorted and Mary reached over to slap his shoulder. "Oh hush. I had no way of knowing that Bela would be such a gold digger."

"I can handle my own hapless love life, Mom," Dean replied, focusing on his food.

Mary looked back to Sam and mouthed to him 'hot?' in reference to Castiel. Sam nodded, sharing a conspiratorial smile with his mother.

Dean growled, knowing exactly what they were doing without even looking up. "You two will be the death of me."


	3. Chapter 3

_"Do you even read the label?" "I read 'pie'. The rest is just blah blah blah..."_

Soup of the day: The tears of our enemies.

\- - - - -

Dean had no idea what he was doing. He had a history of making bad decisions, and was confident that he was doing just that - yet again. But Ruby kept eyeing him, saying with those big eyes: _Don't be a pussy._

"It's never too late for you to go to the pound," he stated, pointing at her with his free hand. The other held a basket filled with sandwiches, chips, and a couple of Cokes.

It was five o’clock, the café was closed for the day, and he had only a couple of minutes to catch the owner of Heaven's Bakery before he would close up and disappear for the night.

"Hang out here for a bit, Ruby. I'll pick you up when I'm done." He opened the front door and looked back at her with a sarcastic grin. "Unless the answer is no, of course."

Ruby 'woofed' before snuggling into her dog bed and ignoring his exit. Dean locked up the café and moved towards the entrance of the bakery. The front lights were off, but Dean could just barely make out lights in the back room. He tried the handle, testing if it was locked (it was) and took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

There was no response.

"Damn it." He glanced around the deserted street. He didn't even know what kind of car Castiel drove. Deciding he had to try once more - this time a little louder and a little more insistent - Dean waited.

Finally, a head peeked around the corner from the back room and looked towards the door. Dean waved, feeling like a massive dork as he stood there.

Why was _Castiel_ so important?

He didn't have the faintest idea. All he knew was that he couldn't stop thinking about the guy, no matter how hard he tried. Weeks had passed, and he was fighting every second not to stand outside and spy on the man in the bakery.

Castiel gave him a smile as he walked across the bakery to unlock the door. As soon as Dean was presented with the man standing right there in front of him he had no idea what to say. Years of being suave and debonair were completely blown out the window.

He held up the basket awkwardly. "Have you had dinner yet?"

The other man looked from Dean to the basket and back a few times, before finally replying. "I have not. Is it poisoned?"

"Considering I had no idea whether you had food allergies - I hope not." Dean finally relaxed, and smiled. "Can I come in?"

He was given room to enter and did just that, letting his eyes scan the interior of the bakery. It was nice. Slightly smaller than his café, but Castiel had done a good job of making use of the space he had.

"Come on back," Cas said, moving towards the back room where he had been before Dean knocked. "I don't have a table, but I have a work counter and a couple stools."

Dean followed, observing everything as he went. The back was pristinely clean and smelled like sweet baked goods. His stomach grumbled at the scent. "I go crazy when you bake snickerdoodles. The cinnamon and sugar smell goes right through the walls."

"Really?"

He nodded, setting down the basket on the spot Cas gestured to. After sitting on one of the barstools, he began taking out the items he had packed. "I've got either club or Italian, your choice."

Cas sat down across from him and peeked at the wrapped sandwiches. "Italian. All of my customers seem to think that is the best."

"Good choice." Dean slid the Italian across to him and pulled the club closer. "How has business been, by the way?"

"Do you mean since you posted an incentive for your customers if they came here first?"

He felt his face light up with embarrassment and he hid behind the act of unwrapping his sandwich and beginning to eat.They were quiet for a few long moments until finally Cas set his sandwich down, took a sip of Coke, and looked up at Dean. "Thank you, for putting that sign up. I was about two weeks from closing before you did."

Dean smiled, trying to brush off Cas' serious tone with a joke. "I was really just hoping you would storm over and knock me on my ass again."

\- - - - -

Inside Heaven's Bakery, the world began to change. Dean and Castiel spent hours talking. Telling each other stories and life experiences, discussing bad customers and horrible kitchen accidents they had caused. Dean convinced Castiel to show him how to make snickerdoodles - which really just turned into a mess of flour and sugar.

And when Dean finally walked out of the bakery, Cas knew that something in his life had shifted. A part of him had changed.

Whatever puzzle he had been trying to build in life, he had finally found the missing pieces.

\- - - - -

On their impromptu date night, Dean had confessed to Cas that his favorite flavor of pie was something special he had only experienced once in his lifetime. His father had taken him to a small café on a road trip somewhere in Iowa, just the two of them alone on a fishing trip.

The pie was 'mocha raspberry cream' and Dean ordered it because his dad swore he could have any flavor and 'hey coffee flavor!' seemed like a good plan at that age. The pie was delicious. The roadtrip was his last with his dad.

It was that story, of course, that gave Cas the idea of which flavor to make the third pie for Mrs. Winchester's birthday. Unfortunately, that meant spending five long days perfecting the recipe - something made even more difficult by the fact that he had no idea what the original tasted like.

By Saturday, the day of the party, he was convinced that he had perfected the pie as much as he could. Something inside of him _prayed_ that Dean liked it. Because he liked Dean; and he wanted to make the man happy.

He boxed up the pies and waited until five o’clock before locking up the bakery and carrying them next door like Sam had requested. The café had been completely transformed from humble eating establishment to enticing party environment and he smiled softly at the few people lingering around. Thankfully, it was easy to spot Sam across the room and he moved that way.

"Hey Cas!" Sam called out. He motioned to the café's front counter which had been transformed into a buffet table. "We've got a spot over here for those."

Cas meticulously set out each pie, along with a place card in front that announced the type. Once he was done, he folded up the pie boxes and took them over to where Sam stood organizing plates and napkins. "Here are these for later, in case there are leftovers. I'm going to head out."

"What? No!" The younger man looked heartbroken at Castiel's words. "Why? I thought you were staying for the party?"

He frowned. "Why would I stay? I wasn't invited. I haven't even met your mother and it's _her_ birthday party."

Sam shook his head. "You're officially invited and if you don't stay I will demand a refund on the pie." Though his tone was serious, he still had a hint of the trademark Winchester smirk that he shared with his brother.

"Sorry. No refunds once delivered."

\- - - - -

Mary Winchester was the type of woman that everyone seemed to love. After Mary's arrival at the party - with Dean in tow - Cas watched from the side of the room as an endless stream of people greeted her with a hug and kind words. He was not much the party type, which equaled him being out of his element and feeling more than a little uncomfortable. Add to that the fact that he didn't know anyone other than Dean and Sam and he was perfectly happy to remain in his spot against the wall.

He was standing just a couple feet from the cash register, and when he tore his gaze away from Mary and her guests, he noticed his own face staring back at him. Sitting just in front of the register was a framed version of the picture Dean had taken of Cas up in the tree. It was, quite honestly, a hilarious shot. He shook his head at how much of a fool he looked like.

"I have that as my phone background, too."

Cas turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Dean stood beside of him, dressed in a button down shirt with his green hair spiked in its trademark mohawk. He looked... _good_. And Cas found it endearing that Mary obviously supported her son's non-traditional 'style' she obviously hadn’t even requested he change for her birthday.

He looked back at the image and shook his head. "I don't know why. It's a horrible shot."

"I think it shows the real you." Dean seemed to slide closer until suddenly Cas could feel Dean's breath tickling his ear. "Thank you for the pie," he whispered and Castiel closed his eyes at the words.

"You're welcome. I hope it tastes like the original. Took me all week to perfect it—" Did he just admit to that? Cas frowned and turned to look at Dean. Bad idea. Those green eyes could put him into a trance instantly. "I even tried calling around to places in the area you described - found out the place closed down ten years ago."

"It will be better than the original." Dean smiled. "Because Heaven made it."

It was a cheesy joke but Cas still found himself laughing at it, a blush hitting his cheeks.

"Are you boys causing trouble back here?" They both looked up to see Mary standing there with a smile on her face. Cas noticed immediately that she was even more beautiful up close.

"Mom." Dean grinned, motioning towards where Cas stood. "I would like you to meet Castiel Novak. He owns the shop next door."

Mary shook his hand with a smile identical to her eldest son's. "Pleasure. I love going into your bakery around the holidays - the almond bark is delightful. And thank you for the pies. They look delicious."

"You're welcome, ma'am. Happy Birthday. I swear I had no intention of crashing your party this evening but Sam made me stay."

She continued to smile, laying a soft hand on his arm and giving Dean a peculiar look. "If you keep that look on Dean's face, you're invited to every party I ever have."

Dean groaned, embarrassment causing his cheeks to redden. "Mom—"

"Nice to meet you, Castiel. I must sneak off now with the excuse of visiting with others." She winked at him. "In reality, Dean wants me to leave so he can ask you out on a proper date." With that, she snuck off into the crowd, leaving both men speechless.

They stood, completely silent, as the party went on.

Minutes passed, until finally Cas spoke. "That's the first mother I've met that took on the role of wingman."

And the awkward moment slipped away as they both laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

_I think you pissed off my sandwich..._

Sandwich of the Day: Hannibal's Favorite (I Sure Hope That's Pork)

\- - - - -

On a scale of one to ten, Dean's love for the concept of dating was probably a two or a three. And considering he was still sitting at an empty table thirty-five minutes after his scheduled date the scale was quickly dropping below two. He looked around the small restaurant once more, one hand itching nervously at the back of his neck while the other picked up his glass of pinot.

He was drinking fucking wine and Cas wasn't going to show up? He was wearing a suit and had smoothed back his hair from its normal mohawk. He had spent a fucking _hour_ getting dressed and picking out the right cologne and...

... and Castiel Novak had the audacity to stand him up?!

He called for the check, irritation fueling him as he paid for two glasses of wine and stood to put his coat back on. It was raining outside. Of course it was fucking raining.

Dean stepped out from beneath the restaurant's awning and moved towards his car, popping his collar up as he went to keep the raindrops from sliding down the back of his neck. When he reached the Impala, he glanced over the hood briefly — just in time to see a lone figure running in the rain towards the restaurant. He frowned, about to mumble something about the person's sanity... when he realized exactly who it was.

"Cas?" he called out, voice barely able to travel through the rainfall. The other man was apparently close enough to hear, though, because he turned towards the sound of his name, water and sorrow on his face.

"Dean!" Castiel changed directions and moved towards the Impala.

As he got closer, it was clear to see just how drenched he was, and Dean frowned. He was still mad, though; still frustrated at the fact that he had gone to so much effort and been stood up. Or _had_ he been stood up? Cas was technically there. He was just really fucking late.

Dean glared. "You could have just called and cancelled. Instead of making me go to all of this trouble—"

"What?" Cas quickly shook his head, brushing his hand through his wet hair. "I didn't want to cancel! My car wouldn't start. I tried calling you but your phone is off."

Maybe it was karma. Dean looked away from wet hair and clingy clothes that were doing weird things to his head. "I was trying to be polite. Turned my phone off for the date—"

The other man had the audacity to smile. And why was Dean looking? He turned away again, trying to remain angry. Cas just stepped closer, obviously not bothered by the rain or his own sopping wet state of dress. "I didn't want to back out, Dean. I almost broke my windshield I was so pissed off at my stupid car. And I called the only cab in town - damn idiot was asleep and said it'd be an hour before he could pick me up. So I walked." A hand reached out to brush along Dean's arm. "I should have run, I'm sorry."

Blue eyes pleaded with him and Dean knew he was being childish over the whole thing. It was dating in general that made him act like that. The whole concept of putting one's feelings out into the world and not knowing if they would be accepted or denied.

He watched Cas hide a shudder and finally smiled. "Get in the car. We'll figure out plan B."

\- - - - -

Plan B took place at Dean's condo. Ruby snuffled at Cas curiously as they stepped inside - before wandering back down the hall towards the spare bedroom where her toys and pillow were.

"Social dog," Cas mumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his wet clothes.

Dean smiled, hanging up his coat and moving towards the linen closet in the hall. "She gets enough socialization at the café. At night she likes her space. Typical female." He pulled out a towel and tossed it in Castiel's direction. "Let me find you some clothes to change in to."

Cas nodded in thanks and used the towel to pat his hair dry. Dean was gone for only a moment before he brought back clothes and steered Cas to the guest bathroom. He peeled off his wet dress pants and button down and held up Dean's sweatpants.

He didn't want to walk around in his own wet underwear, but something about wearing Dean's pants commando seemed... _intimate_. He considered it for another long moment, before he kicked off his boxers and pulled on the soft, well-worn sweatpants. An old AC/DC shirt followed and when Dean's scent overwhelmed his senses, he gasped.

"Do they fit?" A voice called from beyond the door, stirring Cas from his thoughts.

"Yeah. Perfect." He grabbed his own bundle of wet clothes and stepped out of the bathroom. Dean had also changed, and he waited outside of the bathroom door wearing loose jeans and a gray henley.

He smiled and held his hands out for Cas' clothes. "Here, let me throw those in the dryer."

Cas followed, stepping into the condo's kitchen and watching Dean continue on into the laundry room. "Did you eat? At the restaurant?"

"No. Just drank a couple glasses of crap wine." The dryer clicked on and Dean stepped back into the kitchen. "I have two propositions: one - we order pizza, or two - I make grilled cheese."

They settled on grilled cheese so they didn't have to wait for delivery. And even though it wasn't fancy, something about sitting at the kitchen island eating sandwiches (great ones, too) and drinking beer was just what Castiel would expect out of an 'official' date with Dean. It was as low-key as the picnic in the bakery had been, and Cas found that he enjoyed it immensely.

"Alright, my turn," Dean stated, setting his beer down on the granite countertop. "Why baking?"

Cas smiled around his own beer bottle, waiting a moment before he finally answered. "Started when I was a kid. I have five siblings - three brothers and two sisters - and our parents liked us to make each other birthday presents. It was always easiest for me to bake a cake. It started with my oldest brother Michael's thirteenth birthday; I think I was seven, and all I remember was that the cake turned out disgusting because I used salt instead of sugar. From that moment on, it became a challenge to me - how to bake the perfect confectionary delight. The next birthday was my sister Anna's. I made a french vanilla cake with homemade buttercream frosting and it was awesome." He picked slowly at the label on his beer bottle. "I let that be my gift to mankind: just a little bit of sweet in a mostly crappy world."

Dean imagined seven-year-old Castiel in the kitchen, attempting to make the perfect birthday cake and ruining it because he couldn't understand the recipe. He had to admit, the image brought a smile to his face. "I bet you were adorable."

"I was pretty amazing." Cas leaned over, nudging his shoulder against Dean's. "You would have loved me."

"I'm fairly certain that I would have," Dean whispered, taking another drink of his beer.


	5. Chapter 5

_What kind of house doesn't have salt? Low sodium freaks!_

Sandwich of the Day: The Hellhound—it'll drag you back for more!

\- - - - -

Dean had an extensive movie collection. After dinner they moved into the living room with two new beers in hand. After collapsing onto the sofa, Castiel watched as Dean searched through the large library of films.

"Preferences?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at Cas.

"Comedy. Classic comedy."

With a nod, Dean grabbed a movie and put it into his DVD player. He set the case down and carried his beer over to sit beside of Cas. "I like the way you think."

Thirty minutes later, they were both engrossed in the wry humor of Blazing Saddles—apparently Dean's favorite. Castiel wasn't sure when it happened but, before long, their bodies were pressed close together. He could feel Dean's arm laying across his shoulders, and looked down to watch his own hand resting on Dean's thigh. It was comfortable, and only a small part of him felt like a teenager trying to get to third base...

"I feel like a teenager," Dean mumbled.

Cas turned his head to stare at the other man in shock. "I was just thinking the same exact thing—"

Dean turned as well, catching Cas' gaze and smiling. "I have an idea."

"Let's hear it."

Leaning forward, Dean let his voice darken as he whispered into Castiel's ear, "Let's make out."

It was blunt and straight to the point, but Cas had to admit that he liked that about Dean. He turned his head, just enough to catch Dean's lips with his own. Dean tasted like beer and peppermint.

Castiel let his body follow his lips into the kiss. His tongue parted Dean’s lips as he pressed the line of his body against Dean’s. If Dean could cut to the chase, so could he.

Dean reacted to the sudden invasion of personal space with a muffled, surprised sound. Hearing no protest, Castiel took it as a good sign. He let himself enjoy the feeling of Dean under him, the other man having slid sideways and down enough that Castiel was basically on top of him. When Dean broke the kiss Castiel thought that perhaps he needed him to slow down, but Castiel soon found Dean’s mouth too busy sucking bruising kisses down his neck.

Castiel must have groaned louder than he intended because Dean pulled back and asked, "Shit, is that okay?"

"Yes," he said with a heavy sigh, trying to steel himself to be able to form coherent language. "It is very, very okay." He rocked his hips down against Dean’s thigh, his obvious erection backing up his point.

"Fuck," Dean said, biting his bottom lip. "I mean, I don’t want to leave any… marks… if you’re not—"

"It’s fine," Castiel huffed, this time burying his own face in the crook of Dean’s neck. "What about you?"

"I don’t—unh—care."

"Good." Castiel looked up with a grin, a most devilish one, he knew, and bit Dean. Not hard, not nearly hard enough to break skin. But apparently hard enough to get one Dean Winchester revved up and ready to go.

"Holy shit, Cas." Dean grabbed Castiel’s hips in both hands and pulled him down, their hard cocks bumping together through their clothes. He looked down, and then up at Cas. "I’m not, I’m not sure we’re gonna get to that movie after all."

"Oh," Castiel said, sitting back. "Do you want to watch the movie?" Castiel narrowed his eyes and cocked his head ever so slightly, feeling confused.

Dean’s face flushed as he regarded the… tense… situation where their bodies lay pressed against each other. "Something much more interesting has my full attention at the moment."

"So this is okay? We’re not… moving too fast?"

"Fuck, no," Dean said enthusiastically. "I mean, if we’re not for you." He slid his hands up Castiel’s back, outside his shirt.

It felt affectionate and comforting rather than purely sexual. Castiel could swear it made his cock even harder than it already was.

"We’re not, for me," Castiel said, leaning back in close to Dean.

"Good, because I want you."

"Good, because I want you too." And those were the last words that Cas got out because he immediately had Dean’s mouth all over his again. As Dean’s tongue pressed into his mouth Castiel pressed back into the kiss. He slid his hands under Dean’s t-shirt, enjoying the feel of the muscle under Dean’s skin. It was hot to the touch, and so smooth. Castiel opened his eyes just in time to see something mischievous glint in Dean’s.

Bucking his hips up a little, Dean slid both his hands down the back of the sweatpants that Cas was borrowing. Dean’s hands hit Castiel’s bare cheeks, finding no resistance from any underwear.

Castiel waited for the reaction—

"Shit," Dean breathed, sounding awestruck.

—and there it was.

Cas grinned. "Take this off." He plucked at Dean’s t-shirt.

Dean sat up a little and practically ripped off the offending article before attacking Cas’ shirt in kind. They pressed their naked chests together, both enjoying the heat. Dean returned his hands to their previous position on Cas’ ass, squeezing and kneading.

Castiel let his kisses trail away from Dean’s jaw, down his chest. He stopped at a nipple, teasing it with his teeth. Not everyone liked having their nipples played with, and some people found it downright annoying. But Castiel figured it was always worth a shot.

He wasn’t disappointed.

Dean sucked in a sharp breath, his back arching as if it were involuntary. He continued sucking, and bit the nipple again, just a little harder. Dean whimpered.

"I’ve got you," Castiel whispered. He moved his hand to where Dean’s erection was seriously tenting his jeans. He let his mouth travel across Dean’s chest to his other nipple, where he repeated his play. The feel of Dean practically melting under his hands and mouth was intoxicating. He brought his other hand to the button at Dean’s fly and undid it and the zipper, his hands shaking a little. He left Dean’s nipples, sucking kisses down his chest and stomach, and, as Castiel pulled off Dean’s jeans and boxers together, right past his rock-hard cock.

He could feel Dean’s entire body, tense and waiting but also prone, vulnerable, and trusting.

Cas kissed gently into Dean’s inner thigh, before licking his way to the base of Dean’s cock, and slowly up its length.

"Fuck, Cas." Dean grabbed Castiel’s shoulders with both his hands, his fingernails digging into the flesh just slightly.

Castiel reached back with one hand, and moved one of Dean’s hands from his shoulder to the back of his head. He took Dean’s length into his mouth fully then, or at least as much as he could manage. Dean responded the way Castiel had intended and grabbed on to Cas’ hair, the tugging insistent not with aggression but need. Castiel let Dean’s hands guide him, bobbing his head up and down at the pace Dean set.

"Cas," Dean gasped, his voice low and breathy, "I’m gonna come if you keep that up."

"And?" Castiel let his bottom lip drag against the tip of Dean’s leaking cock as he lifted his head to speak. "That _was_ my intention."

"Of course I want to." He stroked Cas’ hair affectionately. "Just… you feel so good. All of you."

"Dean Winchester," Castiel sat up straight and smoothed his hands over the just of Dean’s hipbones. "Would you like to fuck me?"

"Holy shit, yes." Dean practically launched himself off the couch, wrapping his arms around Castiel. The kiss was hot and dirty, and it only further stoked the fire curling at the base of Dean’s spine.

"You got stuff?" It was quite an effort to stop kissing long enough to form actual words.

"Yeah, right—" Dean leaned over the edge of the couch to fish around underneath, "—here!" He held up his prize in one hand triumphantly.

Castiel couldn’t stifle his laugh. "You keep your condoms and lube under your living room couch?"

"No! Of course I don’t—" Dean stopped himself too late.

"You totally thought you were going to get lucky!" Castiel smirked and poked Dean in the chest.

"Well, uh, I… yeah. I hoped."

"Lucky for you I had the same wish."

Dean kissed him again, cupping one side of Cas’ face in his hand. "You okay on the couch?"

"I am if you are."

"Good. Lie down."

Castiel obliged, slipping off the sweatpants and tossing them aside, while Dean shifted out of the way and placed their supplies on the floor within easy reach. He stretched out along the couch fully, revelling in the touch of Dean’s hands.

"I wanna make you come first. That okay?"

Castiel nodded.

Dean sat himself between Cas’ knees, gently easing his legs apart. Castiel’s cock was already hard, and Dean licked up its length once before sinking his mouth down. Castiel bucked up into the sensation, not noticing Dean reach for and uncap the lube. He was pleasantly surprised—very pleasantly—by a cool, slick finger circling around his entrance. Dean kept sucking him off as he slipped his first finger inside, picking up his pace when he pushed in the second. He pulled off and replaced his mouth with his other hand when he slipped in a third. A shudder rippled through Castiel’s body and his eyes slipped closed, when Dean’s finger brushed over his prostate.

He combed his fingers through Dean’s spiky hair, before grabbing onto some of the green locks and tugging as his hips surged forward. It was too much. _Way_ too much. "Fuck, I’m—" His warning was cut off abruptly as he came hard, spilling into Dean’s mouth with a grunt. Castiel forced his eyes open just in time to see Dean swallowing without hesitation. _Fuck._

Dean waited a few moments longer, before pulling away and reaching for a condom. The latex rolled on easily and Dean added another coating of lubricant before dropping the bottle to the floor. He hooked one arm under Castiel’s right leg and raised it up, letting it rest on Dean’s shoulder. After moving closer and situating himself, Dean reached down and guided his cock into Cas’ waiting entrance.

As his body stretched around the girth of Dean’s cock, it registered somewhere in Castiel’s mind that he should make an effort to participate. Unfortunately he couldn’t find the strength to be anything more than a post-orgasmic lump. Dean didn’t seem to mind. He held onto Cas’ ankle and kissed along his calf as he began shifting his hips in a steady movement.

Despite his best efforts, though, Dean knew that he wouldn’t manage to last long. Castiel was too tight and felt too good.

He met blue eyes, half covered by drooping eyelids and long lashes and something staggering occurred to him. Dean’s feelings for this man that he had only been on one date with were stronger than he’d ever felt with anyone else. He gasped, and slammed forward one last time as he came.


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm not leaving here without you._

Sandwich of the Day: The AU (Like a normal only slightly different!)

\- - - - -

They dated for two weeks before Dean found out Castiel's secret. There was a secondary storage room in the back of the bakery that always had its door shut. Assuming it was being used for its intended purpose, Dean never thought much about the room.

One Sunday, after a trip to the local restaurant supply store, Dean helped Cas carry boxes of supplies in through the back door of the bakery. After his third or fourth trip inside, Cas excused himself to the restroom - leaving Dean to fumble with where to put a box of spatulas and new mixing bowls.

He opened the storage room door without much thought, expecting shelves of supplies but finding something entirely different.

A bed. A dresser. Dirty clothes on the floor and an open book laying on a pillow.

"Oh shit," Cas mumbled.

Dean turned to him, still awkwardly holding the box in his hands. "Cas... do you live here?"

Instead of answering, Castiel stepped forward and pulled the supplies from Dean's hands. He carried them across the back room and remained silent. Dean wanted to demand answers until it occurred to him that Castiel might be ashamed to admit the truth.

"You said... a couple weeks back you said that the shop was struggling and you were just about to close when I put that sign out front, right?" The other man's head nodded slightly, causing Dean to continue to figure everything out himself. "You put everything into the bakery.... and gave up your home to make it work?"

He finally turned back to face Dean and shrugged his shoulders as if it were an obvious choice. "My family offered to help out but I didn't want to be indebted to them. They would hold it over my head for a lifetime - long after I paid them back."

After a long, contemplative moment, Dean smirked. "Well it's a good thing we borrowed Sammy's truck."

"What? Why?"

He pointed to the storage room. "Let me help you pack that stuff up. You can stay with me."

"Dean, no!" Cas stepped closer, grabbing Dean's arm to stop him from moving. "That's stupid! We've only been dating for two weeks and we barely know each other—"

"Well, I'm going to teach you something new right now." Dean leaned forward and kissed Castiel quickly, before pulling back. "Never argue with a Winchester."

\- - - - -

Though Mary and Sam were, for the most part, big supporters of Dean and Cas' relationship - even they thought it was insane for the two to move in together after only two weeks. Cas thought it was insane too, to be quite honest, but Dean was determined to make it work.

They survived two months together before they had their first big fight.

In true Dean and Cas fashion the reason for the fight was completely untraditional...

... Castiel changed the radio station when he took the Impala to work one day.

They stewed and glared at each other for most of the day after. Dean was mainly pissed because "If you change a man's station you change it _back_ when you're done!" Castiel was just pissed because it seemed like such a stupid thing for them to be arguing over and Dean to be so upset about.

When they finally climbed into bed that night, Castiel waited until Dean was comfortably facing the other direction before he grabbed onto the sheets and pulled them with him as he rolled over, leaving Dean without anything covering his body.

The other man growled in frustration, quickly rolling over to face Cas' back and grabbing his shoulder so that he rolled to meet Dean's gaze. "What the fuck was that? Just 'cause you're pissed, you think you can hog the blankets? No way."

"I was cold," Cas retorted, his voice the only real cold thing about him.

Dean moved in a rush, grabbing the blankets and tugging them off of Cas. He held them up triumphantly. "I'm surprised you don't just _change them_ without asking me." He moved back to his side, clutching the blankets to him like a petulant child that didn't want to share his toy. They weren't even covering his body properly, they were just _his_ and not _Castiel's_.

Grabbing what he could of the sheets, Cas pulled at them, using all of his strength to try and pull them away from Dean.

Unfortunately, Dean underestimated just how much strength that was, and thanks to his tight grip he moved when the blankets were pulled.

His body rolled, hitting Cas' and rolling them both into the sheets. They were pinned together as the momentum of the movement propelled them straight off the side of the bed.

Dean landed with a thud on his back, Castiel tied on top of him with the sheets. When he tried to move, he found the attempt completely unsuccessful. Even his arms were tied down.

Castiel shifted as well, fighting to get loose. That shifting felt different though. Very, very different. Dean groaned, feeling Cas rubbing against his cock with each of his movements. He couldn't help but shift up into the motion, letting the feelings wash over him as he closed his eyes and ground his hips against Castiel's.

"Fuck," Cas gasped, obviously enjoying it just as much. "That feels really fucking good."

They continued to move together, seeking pleasure while tied up instead of trying to find a way apart. Dean was finding just enough friction, thanks to his boxers and the sheet, to drive himself mad. He leaned up, capturing Cas' lips in an awkward kiss. He had never realized how necessary _hands_ were when kissing. Cas obviously didn't mind though, as he continued to move and moaned into Dean's mouth. After a few long moments, Cas bit down on Dean's bottom lip and suddenly stilled. Dean felt the heat, felt the _shiver_ of Castiel's orgasm and it caused him to come as well.

When the blissful moment finally passed, he realized that not only were they still tied together... but now he was sticky with drying come. "I love you, Cas, but you're going to have to get us out of this predicament."

Head resting on Dean's shoulder, Cas mumbled incoherently, before he suddenly jolted backwards and away from Dean.

It broke Dean's arms free and he smiled as he unraveled himself from the sheets. "Good job."

"Dean." Cas remained where he landed, sheets still wrapped around his body.

"Yeah Cas?"

He was oblivious. Castiel smiled, leaning forward to kiss his nose. "I love you too. And I'm sorry for changing the station."

　


	7. Chapter 7

_Demons I get; people are crazy._

Sandwich of the Day: The Dijinn: Everything you ever wanted and more!

\- - - - -

They dated for two years before the questions started. And unfortunately, it was Castiel's family that seemed to wonder the most.

_When are you two getting married?_

_How can you live in sin together? You two should be married!_

_They make gay marriage legal and leave it to you two to avoid it!_

That last one came from his brother Michael, who was a perfectionist asshole on a good day. Castiel shook off the questions and accusations, thankful that at least Dean's family didn't seem to care if they were married or not.

Until Thanksgiving, of course. Something about the holidays seemed to make even the nicest of people extremely nosey.

Castiel stood in the kitchen of Mary Winchester's quaint three bedroom home and focused on his task of making the meal’s side dishes. Dean and Sam were in the family room, yelling over a football game that was half over. Every time Cas heard Dean yelling about a bad call from a ref, he couldn't help but laugh. His boyfriend didn't usually care so passionately about sports and it was odd to hear.

"So," Mary finally said, standing over the kitchen sink and peeling potatoes. "Should we be anticipating a wedding next year?"

It was so unusual for her to be nosey about Dean and Cas' relationship that it actually caught him off guard. He turned, eyebrows raised as he looked over at her. "I don't know - should you?"

Mary gave him a soft smile before focusing back on her task. "I'm afraid that Dean's commitment phobias might disrupt the peace you boys have developed in your relationship. He doesn't have many good examples to look at when it comes to healthy marriages, and I honestly think he never imagined getting to this moment with someone."

"I know how he is," Cas replied, stirring the stuffing ingredients together. "And I've never expected or been disappointed by any aspect of our relationship."

Silence settled down around them for a long moment, before she finally set her knife down and turned to face him completely. "You could always be the one to ask."

Castiel would be lying if he said he hadn't considered that. And in fact, he was still considering it. After all, he had no real plans for Dean's Christmas present. But he agreed completely with Dean on the fact that it was _their_ decision and _their_ right to choose if and when it happened. Marriage wasn't something to be taken lightly just because it was what your family wanted you to do.

But he knew the Winchester matriarch meant well. He leaned over, dipping his head sideways to rest it on her shoulder. "Is this the lead in to the 'I want grandbabies!' conversation?"

Mary laughed - just like Dean did when he was happy - and poked Cas in the stomach. "I'm not getting any younger, Castiel!"

\- - - - -

It snowed heavily throughout the month of December. By the time Christmas rolled around, there was two feet of pure white snow around town that had yet to melt off. Getting around was a bitch - so much so that Dean actually approved the usage of Castiel's new all wheel drive Subaru instead of the Impala when they drove the two miles from their condo to Mary's home.

When faced with his own family, Castiel hated the holidays. Thankfully, the WInchesters had shown him how to love every moment. But the best part had to be the large box in the back of the Subaru that held the gift he had bought for Dean. As soon as the wrapped package found its way to their living room floor, Dean had gone nuts trying to guess what it was. Castiel laughed at every outrageous suggestion - and took note of the more serious ones so that he could plan ahead for Dean's upcoming birthday.

They pulled up at the house and Cas parked behind Sam's car, which had enough snow accumulated on top of it, to make it obvious that he had been staying with Mary for a couple days.

"Sammy is such a momma's boy," Dean observed as he climbed out of the car.

Castiel got out and went around the back to pull out the presents. Along with the box for Dean, there were two smaller boxes for Mary and Sam. "Maybe we need to find him a girlfriend."

Dean held the bags of food he had prepared and walked carefully towards the front door. "Maybe we should let him borrow Ruby for a weekend."

He snorted at that and followed Dean into the house.

A few hours later, after way too much food and beer, the four of them gathered around the formal living room where Mary's beautiful tree sat. As the gifts were passed around, Cas deliberately held off on letting Dean open his - and it didn't escape him that Dean seemed to be doing the same with Cas' present.

"Oh Cas," Mary whispered, carefully unwrapping the present that he had gotten for her. It was a black and white version of a candid picture of the four of them - one that had been taken two months prior at a town gathering. "I was blessed with the most handsome boys, I tell you."

Cas smiled, feeling Dean's hand rubbing along his back. Mary Winchester had so easily accepted him into the family that she even demanded Castiel call her 'Mom'. And it was completely fitting, because he loved her just as much as he loved his own mother. "I'm glad you like it, Mom."

Breaking into the soft moment, Dean clapped his hands together. "My turn!" Before Cas knew what hit him, a small book-shaped box wrapped in tissue paper was thrust into his hand.

He frowned, turning the box over in his hand. "Where have you been hiding this?" He hadn't seen Dean shop, and he certainly hadn't seen him hiding presents.

"Mom's house. Open it!"

He did so, but stopped midway and smiled at Dean. "I think you should open yours at the same time." Dean didn't have an argument for that, so he pulled the box closer and began tearing into it.

Castiel expected a book.

Dean probably expected more than a smaller box.

Wrapping paper aside, Castiel found a large three-ring binder. He opened it slowly, completely confused and unaware of Dean's progress on his own present.

Inside the binder was a large stack of pristine white paper. The first page held six words in bold type that took Cas' breath away.

_**Reasons Why You Should Marry Me...** _

He turned the page, feeling his hands shaking. The second page held four equally powerful words.

**_Because I love you._ **

He flipped the page again, and found the same four words. He grasped the whole stack of paper and let it drift slowly from his fingers so that he could quickly see the writing on each page.

It was all the same.

**_Because I love you. Because I love you. Because I love you. Because I love you..._ **

"Holy shit," Dean whispered.

Castiel had to laugh, because he was suddenly reminded of the gift he had packaged so carefully in Dean's large giftbox.

He turned, eyes glassy with tears as he saw Dean holding open a small velvet box that held a shining silver ring inside.

　


	8. Chapter 8

_I found a liquor store.... and I drank it._

Sandwich of the Day: The Wishing Well—The Sandwich of your Dreams!

                                            (Results may vary)

\- - - - -

Dean would not be fooling anyone if he said he wasn't miserable. In the two years that they had been together, he had only met Castiel's family once - which had also been horrible.

There were people in the large Novak family, of course, that Dean could tolerate. Like Castiel's sisters. They were both kind hearted like Cas and easy to talk to. Until Hael, the baby of the family at nineteen, started acting spoiled. Dean didn't handle that well. He tended to raise a steady eyebrow and stare at the girl like she was crazy when she went on a rant about allowances.

"Having fun?" Cas asked, moving to stand beside Dean.

He had found the coziest corner of the room possible. Because despite the fact that it was technically their engagement party, Dean felt like he more appropriately belonged on the catering staff for the event.

He tipped his glass of champagne in his fiancé's direction. "So much fun."

Castiel smiled, leaning forward to kiss Dean. He could taste the champagne on the other man's lips. When the kiss broke, he remained close and whispered, "Did I mention how dashing you look?"

"You did, but it _is_ nice to hear again." Dean lifted a hand to smooth it over his hair. It was no longer green, but in general it continued to remain in a short mohawk. Unfortunately, he knew that Castiel's parents were not fans of non-traditional looks (they had glared so hard at his green hair when they first met him that he could practically feel the tips catching fire), so his hair was gelled and smoothed down properly.

A weird expression washed across Cas' face as he observed Dean's nervous habit of touching his hair. After a moment, Castiel lifted his hands and turned Dean's face towards his own. "Hold still." Dean did as he was told, and felt Cas messing with his hair for a few moments.

"Did I mess it up?" he questioned, worry tinging his voice.

"Nope." Once Castiel was done he stepped back and grinned. "Please don't let the expectations of my family change what makes you… you."

Very slowly, he lifted a hand to his own head, feeling the way his hair had been formed into it's normal spikes. Castiel had a way of reminding Dean daily why he loved him. That moment was just another reminder.

\- - - - -

Later that week (he still wasn't sure how he got roped into spending a whole week at the Novak's vacation home with the clan), Dean found himself hiding in the kitchen making greasy cheeseburgers.

A lot of his time spent there involved hiding.

A _lot_.

"Oh man," a voice mumbled softly. "That smells delicious."

Dean turned his head from the stove, surprised to see Cas' dad standing at the edge of the counter. The majority of the Novak's were vegetarian, as Hannah liked to remind Dean. He assumed that included Charles - but it wasn't hard to recognize the look of burger!desire on the older man's face.

"I made extra. Want one?"

Charles glanced around the kitchen, obviously making sure his wife wasn't anywhere nearby. He took a small step closer to Dean and nodded his head. "Please? Hannah has forced this vegetarian shit onto me and I hate it. I don't give a fuck if my cholesterol is bad - a man deserves to eat meat!"

He snorted, nodding his head and focusing back on finishing the burgers. "I completely understand, Mr. Novak."

"Call me Chuck," the man replied. He moved to the large fridge and reached down into the bottom, rising back up with two beers in hand. "Castiel still discussing wedding plans with the witch?"

Witch? Dean couldn't argue against that assessment, but he was surprised to hear Mr. Nov—Chuck, speaking such a way about his wife. "Last I saw, they were heading into the study upstairs and Mrs. Novak was carrying about six large binders."

"She likes to plan. She likes that a lot." Chuck opened his beer and took a long swig of it. "I hate it."

Dean finished the burgers and held out a plate to his future father-in-law. "Well, Cas likes to plan too, but I don't think he's as extreme as his mother."

"Be glad." Chuck set his beer and the plate down on the counter, before grabbing his burger with both hands. When he took a bite, he moaned so loudly that Dean turned to watch the doors and make sure no one would come investigate the noise. "Oh my God, Dean, welcome to the family."

He snorted. "Thanks, I think."

\- - - - -

"Of course you'll hold the wedding at the Embassy hall!" Hannah cried. "Where else can you comfortably fit 600 people for both the wedding and the reception?"

Castiel held a hand to his forehead and laid back on the study's leather couch. "Mother, Dean and I don't want 600 people at our wedding!" Castiel wasn't even sure he _knew_ 600 people. Which meant that the majority of them would be Charles and Hannah's friends.

Hannah sat at her desk and pointed at the open binder in front of her, which held a long list of notes. "I count at least five hundred here, and we must leave room for extras we will think of along the planning process. Now, dates. I feel that August would be most appropriate. August 16th, possibly?"

He sat back up, knowing that he had to speak up before it was too late. "Mother, at which point are you going to step back and let us plan our own wedding?"

"Castiel," she tsked at him, "how many weddings have you planned? None? That's what I thought. Now, who will be in the wedding party? All of your siblings, of course. Well, almost all." She shook her head and Castiel noted the look of disappointment that she always had on her face when she considered Lucifer, the second-eldest Novak child. A son in _prison_ never fit into high society.

Not for the first time that trip, Cas wished that his family was more like the Winchesters. "Make sure that Dean’s family is well included in your preparations. I want Sam and Mary to play large roles in the wedding. No doubt Sam will be the best man. I suppose Anna can stand beside me. We really don’t _need_ a large wedding party."

From her chair, Hannah let out a huff of indignation. "Why are you automatically lamented to the role of bride? People are just starting to accept the fact that one of my sons is gay, must you make it worse by being the—"

Castiel sat up, glaring at his mother and cutting off her sentence. "Mother!" He felt anger seeping into his veins at the mere thought of her words. His relationship, and all aspects of it, was none of society’s business. The main reason he avoided his family and their rich lifestyle was because of the way anyone that wasn’t ‘normal’ was treated.

It was just another reason _not_ to have a wedding with 600 socialites in attendance. The majority would probably only be there so that they could say they had attended a posh gay wedding.

Hannah, completely unphased by his outburst, scribbled a note on her planner. "Okay, we’ll come back to wedding party. Let’s talk meal plan."

He wanted with all of his heart to tell her off. Let her know exactly where she could shove her wedding plans… But the fact was, she was his mother. And despite everything, he loved her and wanted to make her happy.

"I already have the dessert part planned. The rest, I don’t care."

As she went over a list of options that were always appropriate and guest favorites, Castiel leaned back against the couch cushions and tried to tune her out. It was going to be a long day.


	9. Chapter 9

_You can either roll over and die, or you can keep fightin'._

Bottled Hellfire—Try our new spicy sauce!

\- - - - -

In his mind, Dean had always imagined bachelor parties like they were shown in the movies. A bunch of guys getting together and being crazy—a few beers, maybe a couple strippers, but for the most part... just a good ol' time.

In Hannah Novak's mind, a bachelor party was a dignified get-together at a local country club five miles outside of town. The Novak's didn't even live in the same town as Castiel and Dean, but they still managed to take over.

Dean stared down into yet another glass of champagne and tried to use his mind to turn it into beer. It wasn't working. He looked back up, watching his mother and Sammy trying to mingle through the crowd of friends and Novaks alike.

His own mother was at his bachelor party.

There was no beer. No strippers.

And his hair was once again combed down because Hannah had complained about it, loudly.

His grip tightened on the champagne flute and he contemplated breaking the glass in frustration. He was tired of high society. Even Castiel was acting different because of it. His fiancé was worried more about appearances and the fucking wedding cake than he was about whether or not Dean was even at the party. They hadn't spoken in two days, thanks to Castiel's crazy planning strategy.

They were getting married in two weeks. _Two weeks._ And it wasn't cold feet that was making Dean hate the idea; it was the fact that it didn't even feel like _his_ wedding. And Cas didn't feel like his fiancé.

A jazz band started to play from the edge of the party, and it was just the thing to throw Dean over the edge. He slammed his champagne down on a table and hurried through the crowd. No one even noticed him - proving the point that it was hardly his party at all.

He reached his brother in the middle of the crowd and touched the back of his neck as he leaned close to whisper, "Come on. We're leaving."

Sam followed obediently, but kept looking over his shoulder apprehensively. When they finally escaped the country club and reached the Impala, parked out front, Dean tore off his suit jacket and tie and threw them into the backseat, before climbing behind the wheel.

Opening the passenger door, Sam leaned down to peer into the car. "Where exactly are we going?"

Dean started the car, listening to it purr for a few long moments before he turned to his brother and smirked. "We're going to have a real fucking bachelor party."

\- - - - -

The nearest strip club happened to be a town over, but Dean wasn't worried about the distance. When he pulled up and parked the car, Sam frowned, already settling into concerned brother mode.

"A strip club? Really?"

Dean turned to his brother. "I'm getting married in two weeks. Over 500 people are planning on being at the wedding - I will know _maybe_ ten of them. The guy that I'm marrying hasn't spoken to me in two days." His expression turned to a frustrated glare. "So yes, a strip club. I am going to get drunk off my ass and stare at boobies for possibly the last time in my life. And you, baby brother, are going to join me."

Sam had no argument after that. So they got drunk, and they stared at strippers. Three hours later, Dean was in the midst of his third lap dance - because _why not_ \- and hadn't looked at his phone once.

Which is how he missed eight messages from his panicked fiancé and five messages from his equally panicked mother.

\- - - - -

The door finally opened at two in the morning. Castiel heard it the same time as Ruby and rushed through the condo. He was still awake, of course. How could he sleep when Dean and Sam had virtually vanished from the party?

What walked through the door, however, was not what Castiel expected.

The Winchester brothers were holding onto each other as they stumbled into the foyer. They were disheveled and smelled so strongly of alcohol that Cas half-expected to get drunk just off the smell.

And they were singing a _terrible_ rendition of Bon Jovi’s 'Wanted: Dead or Alive'.

Dean finally noticed Castiel and gave his fiancé a goofy lopsided grin before howling, "And I WALK these streets!"

"Please tell me that you two didn't drive," Cas growled, ushering them both into the living room and watching them fall onto the couch in a tangled lump of long Winchester limbs.

"Called a friend," Sam mumbled. "So many boobies..."

Dean giggled at his brother's words. Actually _giggled_. "I like boobies." He let his eyes drift back to where Castiel stood glaring at them. "If Cas had boobies he would be perfect."

Castiel brought his fingers up to rub along his forehead, trying to make his headache disappear. "Did you two go to a strip club?"

"Boobies and beer," Sam sing-songed in answer. Dean just smirked.

"Good to know." He glared at his fiancé, knowing that what he said wouldn't matter because Dean was not likely to remember. "It’s good to know that I put in all of that effort to plan our party only to have you run off unexpectedly to stare at naked women." He threw his hands into the air and turned to walk away. "I didn't even know you _liked_ women!"

It took Dean's brain so long to come up with a retort, that Cas had already closed himself off in the bedroom. "Of course I like women!"

\- - - - -

Mario Kart, on any other given day, would have been simple. Mario Kart while wasted was damn near impossible. Dean watched his car fly off of the road and over an embankment for the tenth time and could do nothing but giggle. Thankfully, his competition wasn’t doing much better. His eyes glanced up past the split screen function and noticed that Sam’s car was being lifted back onto the road as well.

"Dude, we’re not very good at this." The observation from Dean made them both laugh like it was going out of style.

Sam hit the gas button on his control and watched his car spin off a cliff once more. "Fucking… mushrooms, man. Dean— _Dean_ —stop throwing mushrooms at me!"

Since Dean was struggling to remember which buttons did what, he was unsure if he was the culprit or not. He fell over sideways, head landing with a thump on Sam’s lap. "S’mmy, you suck."

The race ended, ten minutes later, when Sammy finally managed to cross the finish line. At that point, though, Dean had long since given into the weight of his eyelids and passed out.


	10. Chapter 10

_"You think you're funny?"... "I think I'm adorable!"_

Sandwich of the Day: Trenchcoat on a Tortilla, God's favorite.

\- - - - -

Dean Winchester was not a fan of hangovers.

Unfortunately, Dean Winchester was terribly, _horribly_ hungover when he woke up.

On top of the pounding headache and instant nausea he felt when he moved, he also had a sore neck and a lumpy pillow. He reached up and pushed at it, hoping that it would smooth out so he could go back to sleep.

His pillow growled at him.

"What the fuck?" He slowly blinked his eyes open and turned his head just enough to see what he had been laying on. His brother lay perpendicular to him on the floor, and Dean had apparently been using Sam's stomach as a pillow. _What. The. Fuck._

"Good morning," came a voice from across the room. It was way too early and he was way too hungover for someone to talk so loud.

"Shh."

The voice spoke up immediately, sounding more than a little annoyed. "Don't you 'shh' me, Dean Winchester. I brought you into this world, I can surely take you out of it!"

 _Oh fuck._ Dean blinked his eyes open again and lifted his head enough to see his mother standing across the room with her arms folded over her chest and a glare on her face. "Shit. What did I do?" He licked at his lips and held his head while he slowly sat up. The room spun for a moment, but eventually righted itself. He was 99% certain that he could sit there and not throw up.

Mary had dealt with enough drunk Winchester men in her life that she didn't seem phased at all - just really really really pissed off. "Castiel has left for the bakery already, but he asked me to deliver a message."

 _Shit_ , Dean thought to himself, remembering parts of the night before. "That being?"

"The wedding is off."

Suddenly he was ill for an entirely different reason. He didn't understand. And he couldn't remember enough of the night before to figure out what he had done to make Cas call off the wedding. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet and moved to his mother.

"What did I do?" His question was pleading. He had to know what he did so that he could figure out how to fix it. Sure, the wedding that had been planned wasn't his idea of perfect, but he wanted to marry Cas, and if the big extravagant wedding was what Cas wanted, then he would happily go along with it. "Mom..."

"I don't know." She finally relaxed a bit and gave him a sad smile. "He was pretty pissed about last night. You should have seen how worried he was about you, Dean. He thought you left because you didn't want to get married! And then apparently you came home talking about all of the pretty ladies at the strip club - and all of the lap dances you'd received." The smile went back to a glare. "I don't blame him for being angry. You acted less like a 31-year-old and more like a 15-year-old."

Fuck, he had screwed up.

\- - - - -

Baking was soothing. It always had been. It calmed Castiel down in ways that nothing else could.

Unfortunately, it wasn't helping much that morning. Since it was Sunday the bakery was closed, but when he had failed to get more than three hours of sleep after Dean's arrival home the night before, he had escaped to the only place he knew to go. He had called Mary, retelling the night’s events in detail before admitting finally that the wedding was off.

He couldn't marry Dean. He loved the man with all of his heart - but marriage obviously scared the shit out of Dean Winchester. It was the only explanation for why he had run off and done something so completely out of character.

And then to come home and brag to Castiel's face about all of the 'pretty ladies' that had danced and pawed all over him? The thought still made him sick.

He dumped another cup of sugar into the mixer. He had already made five batches of cookies. What would two or three more hurt? He could donate them to local charities or food banks or something.

With the radio blasting Top 40 hits and the mixer going at full speed, he was in a zone of complete obliviousness.

Until the radio clicked off.

He groaned, switching the mixer off and leaning forward a bit over it. He knew who had disrupted his moment. Only one other person had a key to the bakery. And it was like Castiel could _feel_ his penetrating green gaze.

"I'm not in the mood to argue." Cas finally spoke first, since Dean obviously didn't want to.

Footsteps sounded as the other man drew closer. "I didn't come to argue. I came here to apologize."

He finally turned around to face his fiancé. When he saw the look on Dean's face, he couldn't help but sigh. Those green eyes were sadder than he had ever seen before, but Cas didn't know what to say. He was still mad. Still frustrated.

Dean didn't give him a chance to speak. "I can't handle your family. Your dad is cool, Anna is fantastic, but the rest of them want me to be something that I am not." That, in one clear statement, was what it all boiled down to. "I don't want a wedding with 500 guests that I don't know. I don't want a 'bachelor party’ that is really just a bunch of stuck-up rich people sipping champagne. I don't want a ten-tier wedding cake that stresses you out beyond all compare. And above all else..." He took a step closer, reaching out to lay his hand on Castiel's arm. "I don't want you to think that all of those things mean I don't want to be married to you. Because I do. I knew when I proposed that I couldn't stand losing you, Cas. I need you. We're family - you and me."

As Dean spoke, Castiel's eyes had turned to stare at the floor. He couldn't handle the pressure of hearing the words and seeing the sincerity of them written on Dean's face. His heart hurt because he agreed with everything Dean had said and hated that he hadn't realized it before. The perfect wedding that he had felt obligated to plan with his mother was not perfect for Dean and Cas. It was far from it. And the stress of it had literally driven them to the edge. He stepped forward, falling easily into Dean's warm embrace.

"I love you," Cas whispered, turning his head to kiss Dean's neck. "And I'm sorry too."

\- - - - -

There was a place they liked to go by the river on the edge of town. On warm summer days Dean would sit and fish while Cas watched patiently.

They stood a few paces away from that spot, in a grassy meadow on the first of August. Sam and Mary were there as well, witnessing the moment when two lives became one.

A local Justice of the Peace performed the ceremony and in ten minutes they were married. No cake. No guests. And no pushy in-laws in sight.

It was perfection.


	11. Chapter 11

_I hope your apple pie was freakin' worth it!_

All sandwiches served with a side of sweet potatoes or even sweeter revenge!

\- - - - -

Hell's Café made for a perfect reception location the day after their wedding. They called all of their friends in town and, much to Dean's displeasure, Castiel's family, for a potluck. They hadn’t announced the impromptu marriage. And they still didn't have a cake. They had pie, however, which made Dean infinitely happy.

Sam was in charge of getting everything set up and making sure all of the guests had arrived. Once they were all there, Dean and Castiel snuck in through the back door of the café and waited for Sam's "announcement."

A whistle sounded throughout the front of the restaurant, and suddenly voices quieted down. Dean clutched Castiel's hand and smiled at his... husband as he listened to his brother speak.

"I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for coming. I know it was very short notice, but Dean and Cas asked me to put this together so that they could make a very important announcement. And if you haven't noticed, they aren't here—but we have finally tracked them down! So without further ado," he paused, obviously for dramatic effect, and finally continued a moment later, "I would like to introduce the happy couple—Dean and Castiel Winchester."

An applause started from the crowd, before it cut off momentarily as everyone realized the exact meaning of Sam's words. Dean and Cas stepped out at that moment, holding their intertwined hands into the air in triumph. The clapping resumed, as well as a few hollers from happy party goers.

Cas stared lovingly at his husband, barely caring at all about the crowd of their friends and family that stood before them. After a moment, he held up his free hand to signal for everyone's silence. "Just in case you didn't catch that—Dean and I decided to go the non-traditional route and got married last night in a private ceremony."

"And," Dean spoke up, a beaming smile on his face. "For all of you that I know are wondering about the name thing..." A few awkward laughs were heard. "We decided there was only one fair way to make that decision."

"We flipped a coin," Cas finished.

The noise from the crowd was a mixture of cheering and laughing. Dean turned, leaning over and catching his husband's lips in a kiss.

They were so focused on that perfect moment, that neither one of them noticed the café door opening and closing as a guest stormed out.

They were too in love to be bothered with the fact that Hannah Novak was beyond livid.

\- - - - -

There was something about being a newlywed that made Dean’s heart flutter in ways that he would never admit to. He spent the entire party within touching distance of Cas, reaching out more than a few times to wrap his arms around his _husband_ and pull him close.

When the party began to wind down, Dean grabbed onto Cas' hand and pulled him back out the back door. The Impala was parked there, directly beneath the tree where they had first met. Dean smiled, not hesitating to press his husband up against the hood of his car as he captured his lips again.

The kiss went from calm and chaste to heated and needy almost instantly. Castiel had his hands pushed beneath the back of Dean's shirt when they finally broke apart.

"Just think," Cas whispered, lightly scratching Dean's back. "We can do that for the rest of our lives. Because you married me... _you're stuck with me_."

The other man chuckled, dipping his head to suck lightly at Cas' neck. "It's going to be fucking glorious," he mumbled against Cas' skin.


	12. Chapter 12

_I smell good, don't I? I taste even better._

Sandwich of the Day: Cupid's Arrow—bringing two perfect flavors together!

\- - - - -

Though Hannah Novak was still angry about the impromptu wedding that didn't stop Cas' father from giving them his wedding gift—a week at a vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since Dean hated to fly they took two weeks off of work and used the extra time to drive halfway across the country.

The road trip was great; not just for letting them be close together, but also for hot sex in the backseat of the Impala on old county roads. ( _"I told you owning this car was worthwhile."_ )

They pulled up at the rental house just before midnight, barely awake enough to carry their bags inside and collapse on the large bed.

\- - - - -

Castiel didn't anticipate that married life would be much different than the past two years that they had been dating. And in reality, it wasn't... for the most part.

The changes were subtle.

When he felt hands massaging at his ass, slowly pulling him from sleep with the beginnings of desire, he knew that a silver band lay on one of those skilled fingers. A silver band that told the world _Dean Winchester is taken!_ And when a breathy moan hit the back of his neck, Dean wasn't just whispering 'Castiel'... he was whispering 'Castiel Winchester.'

"Are you going to get me all worked up when we so obviously left the lube out in the living room with our bags?" he questioned, feeling Dean's thumb beginning to rub circles around his hole.

Dean bit at his neck and pulled his hands free. When Cas heard the tell-tale sound of a lid popping open, he smirked. "How thoughtful," he moaned. Dean had obviously already gotten up and tracked down the lubricant in their bags.

"Wanted to wake you up right, on the first official day of our honeymoon." Warm slick fingers moved back to begin gently probing at his entrance. Cas relaxed into the feeling and reached his own hand down to stroke his hardening cock.

As Dean worked to stretch him open, his lips peppered kisses along Castiel’s back. It was soothing, slow, and meticulous, and it didn’t take long before it was driving Castiel crazy. He whimpered, on the verge of begging for more, but Dean already knew what he needed.

Gently probing fingers were replaced by the slick head of Dean’s cock and Cas immediately shifted back against the feeling.

As they made love, it became obvious that Dean was in no rush to reach completion. He was savoring every sweet moment; letting his hand brush along every inch of his husband’s skin. When it finally became too much stimulation, Cas came with a choked gasp, hand still stroking his own cock as he spilled his seed onto the bedsheets.

Dean’s hand gripped tight onto Cas’ hip and held him steady as half a dozen deep thrusts pushed Dean over the edge as well.

Lips pressed along Castiel’s shoulder blade, causing him to smile. "I love you, Dean."

\- - - - -

"I hope you know just how _badly_ you’re going down."

Cas glanced to the go-kart sitting next to his, where Dean wore a challenging smirk on his face. His husband was mocking him. Two could play at that game. "What’s that? I can’t hear you over the sound of my awesomeness."

He cut his attention back to the light pole that would signal when they could enter the track and waited patiently. Dean continued to try and goad him, but he ignored it, and when the light turned green—he left just a couple of paces before Dean did.

The kart was two full corners through the course before he felt the bumper of another car tapping him from behind. There wasn’t a mirror on his go-kart, but it didn’t matter because he knew exactly who was hitting him. Two turns later, Dean nudged past him with a wave.

Castiel kept his kart glued to Dean’s bumper, biding his time and waiting for the perfect moment. The end of the course was in sight, when he saw his opportunity. He took the last turn a little _too_ fast, and cut to the inside of Dean. When the velocity of the turn pushed his go-kart farther to the left, it had no where to go except into the side of Dean’s. They bumped together, but the move obviously caught Dean off-guard because his concentration slipped and he had to hit the brake to keep from spinning.

With a smirk, Castiel drove across the finish line first. He pulled his go-kart into the parking/pit area and unhooked his belts as the attendant shut the engine off. When he stood up and climbed out of the kart, he threw his hands up into the air in triumph.

He looked towards where his husband was climbing from his own kart, and noticed that the smirk was no where to be seen. Dean headed for the exit and Castiel followed, wondering how grumpy the other man would be since he had gotten beat.

When he arrived at his husband’s side, strong arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. Dean’s lips brushed over his ear and whispered, "That was a dirty move. I think I’ll have to punish you for it later."

Castiel had never felt like more of a winner than at that very moment.


	13. Chapter 13

_It's like trying to defuse an IED with poop._

Sandwich of the Day: The Dragon. It's real! And burnt to crispy perfection.

\- - - - -

Ask any married couple and they would provide the same answer: the discussions of babies happens both immediately and frequently.

Dean and Castiel were no different. On their honeymoon they talked about whether or not they wanted kids. When they arrived home and settled into a routine as a married couple, the topic continued to pop up on a regular basis. Usually at night, when they were either exhausted from long days at work or long sessions of passionate sex.

They agreed—six months of being newlyweds, and then they would look into the process. What neither one admitted to the other was that they counted down each day of those six months anxiously.

In February, they sat down at the kitchen table and made a list.

_Before Baby_

_\- Find suitable home with yard_

_\- Find awesome surrogate_

_\- Decide on donor_

_\- Don't tell Novaks about intentions_ ("Damn it, Dean!")

Over the next three months, most of the pieces fell together both quickly and simply—like they were meant to be. They met with clinics and looked through books filled with surrogate applicants, and hunted for Dean's idea of the perfect home. Which... was a lot harder than Castiel expected.

Dean's perfect home had everything: ample bedrooms, a convenient location in town, a large yard with room for a swing set ("And maybe a pool!"), and an awesome garage for the Impala.

Cas decided to worry less about finding their dream home and more about picking out the mother of their child. He searched through the candidates for hours on end, trying to narrow down the selection based on physical appearances and the medical history that was listed.

And then one day he found her, and he knew immediately when he read the profile that she was the one. Charlie Bradbury. In the essay section she spoke of her love for classic rock, Star Wars, and a variety of video and board games. She was healthy, with no history of family illness, and her answer to the question 'Why would you like to be a surrogate?' brought tears to his eyes.

" _As a lesbian, I personally know the struggle that comes with starting a family in a same-sex relationship. Three years ago I lost my fiancée and her child in a car accident; as a tribute to them, I promised myself that I would do everything possible to help struggling couples start their families_."

When Dean read Charlie's profile, he agreed wholeheartedly with Castiel's decision. They called to schedule a meeting, excitement rushing through them as they moved onto their list's next item.

\- - - - -

They didn't find Dean's perfect home until Charlie was seven months pregnant. With twins.

The house was just down the street from Mary's—a fact that made Dean ecstatic. And it had everything: four bedrooms, a big garage, and a large fenced yard. Dean fell in love immediately.

It was, of course, $20,000 over their budget. Without hesitation, Mary offered up the extra in the event that they couldn't bid a lower amount. The sale closed in a month, and they moved their things in with a _very_ pregnant Charlie camped out on the couch.

Though she had every right to go home to her own space, Charlie understood how nervous both Dean and Cas were about her being alone at eight months. Especially with the risk of twins sending her into early labor. So they promised a comfortable guest bed and invited her to stay for the remainder of the pregnancy.

Thankfully Charlie, ever the awesome surrogate, happily let Dean and Cas stop and rub her belly whenever they got the notion. Which was quite often, once the eight month mark hit. They both had different styles of interacting with the twins while they were still in the womb. Dean would sit on the floor by the couch and read his favorite books out loud for them to hear. Castiel preferred buying high tech contraptions that could strap onto Charlie’s belly and play classical music - which was all good and well until he realized one day that Dean had switched it to AC/DC.

It took another five weeks before the babies made an appearance. "Definitely Winchesters," Sam noted in regards to their stubbornness about leaving the womb.

\- - - - -

Finley Cheyanne and Maxwell Charlotte Winchester were born at 3:46 a.m. and 3:49 a.m. on a Tuesday morning in March. Their fathers held them proudly in the nursery of the hospital where they had just received their first bath.

"Perfect," was all Castiel could manage to say as he stared down at Maxwell sleeping soundly in his arms. Since they had both donated sperm they would never truly know who was the biological father and, as Dean liked to point out, "They aren't identical, one might be mine and one might be yours."

A nurse stepped forward to happily show them to the room that had been assigned as theirs while the girls remained at the hospital. Before the nurse could leave them, Dean spoke up. "Would you mind showing my brother and mom down here? I'm sure they're anxious to meet the girls."

"Of course," the nurse replied. She left them sitting on the edge of the hospital bed beside each other.

Dean turned, taking advantage of their last quiet moment alone and leaning over to kiss Castiel gently. "You know we're going to need to continue the whole 'who's daddy and who's papa' conversation."

A pout crossed over Castiel's face. "I don't want to be ‘papa.’ Why can't we both be ‘daddy’?"

"Because that's confusing as fuck?"

"Hey!" Mary Winchester admonished quietly as she stepped into the room. "No cursing in front of my granddaughters!"

Mary and Sam had obviously caught a portion of the conversation because Sam stepped over to his brother and stared at one of his nieces before giving his opinion. "Dad and Daddy?"

The idea gave both new fathers a moment of pause. Though it might initially be confusing while the girls were learning to talk, eventually it would work. Dean smiled at his brother. "Good job, Sammy. You have earned the right to hold Miss Finley."

Cas and Mary both rolled their eyes.

It was going to be a long eighteen years.

　


	14. Chapter 14

_You fudging touch me again, I'll fudging kill you!_

Sandwich of the day: Peanut Butter and Jelly (Tastes like molecules!)

\- - - - -

In no universe was he prepared for that particular day.

Before the sun even touched the sky, Dean's eyes were open and staring at the ceiling. It was a Monday morning in September, and he was content to lay snuggled in bed with his husband and watch his memories playing out across the ceiling.

Somehow, five years had passed in a heartbeat. He could still remember sleepless nights and diaper explosions so bad that he thought seriously about buying a HAZMAT suit. Five years. From diapers and bottles, to potty training and cartoon marathons.

Cas was right. He was a big fucking sap, and there was no way he would survive the day without crying a tear or two (or twenty). He turned his head to glance at the bedside clock.

_5:36 a.m._

Time to rise up and face the music.

After carefully extracting himself from Cas' warm embrace, he walked into the bathroom and waited for the door to seal shut before turning on the light. After seven years of marriage he knew that Castiel Winchester was not a pretty sight before eight o'clock.

He took a quick shower and got dressed, stepping back out of the bathroom a couple minutes before six. A soft snore was coming from the bed, causing him to smirk as he left their bedroom.

A quick peek in the bedroom two doors down from theirs told him exactly what he had already known. One bed was empty and the other was still occupied—showing only a mess of blankets and a head full of dark brown curls.

Finn.

Just like Cas, Miss Finley was not an early riser. She had always been their quiet one; even when she was a few weeks old, she would sleep through the night and not cause much trouble.

He heard a loud clanking from the kitchen and smirked.

Yes, Finn was their precious angel. And then there was her sister.

Dean entered the kitchen just in time to see Maxwell cracking eggs into a frying pan on the stove. She had always had an interest in helping him in the kitchen, so he had started her early. And at five, she had finally mastered the art of scrambled eggs and toast.

He stepped up to where she stood on her kitchen stool by the stove and leaned down to kiss her straight blonde hair. "Good morning, bug."

"Morning Daddy." She gave him only a quick glance, before biting her bottom lip and focusing on stirring the eggs.

There would come a day, he knew, when she wouldn't so happily say 'Daddy'. Maxwell was going to be tough, fearless, and have no time for mushy stuff like emotions. He cherished every single 'Daddy' that she said.

While she cooked, he busied himself with grabbing them both a plate and fork, and the bag of shredded cheddar cheese. Butter. Jam. And two glasses of apple juice. The toast popped, and he buttered the bread while Max shut off the burner and scooped equal amounts of egg onto each plate.

They sat across from each other at the table. After adding salt and pepper, he took a bite of her eggs and smiled approvingly. "Delicious. Too bad Dad and Finn are never up to enjoy your cooking."

Max smiled, mouth full of eggs as she replied, "Their loss."

Castiel had spent five years trying to teach Maxwell proper table etiquette. Dean told him over and over to just give up. She knew exactly how to act at the table. She just didn't care. Cas blamed Dean for that personality trait.

Secretly, Dean would gladly take responsibility for every trait (good and bad) that the girls had. Because they were his daughters. He would protect them to the end of the world and back.

"Are you ready for today?" he questioned, taking a bite of his toast.

"No." Max shook her head, and for a moment he saw a glimpse of fear in her eyes. She never showed that side of herself to anyone but her fathers. "What if they don't like me?"

Fuck. He was worried about that too. The entire school environment was a menacing mess of bullies and pressure to succeed. Not to mention the desire that everyone perfectly fit into the description of 'normal'.

Coming from a family with two dads... Max and Finn already had a big checkmark in the 'not-normal' box. Would they be teased for that? Would Finn be teased because she was shy and quiet? Would Maxwell be teased for being so fearless and wild?

It was kindergarten. The start of twelve important years in their lives. The beginning of the road that would lead them straight on into adulthood.

Dean dropped his toast back onto his plate and sighed. He wished Cas was awake because he would know exactly what to say to ease everyone's fears, Dean's included. "Max, I can’t promise that school will be easy and that kids will like you. The fact is... school kind of sucks. It's a necessary evil. But I can promise you one thing—you know what that is?"

She answered with a soft, "No," and kept her eyes focused on him.

"You and Finn will be the the luckiest kids there. Because you are starting out with your best friend, your number one support, already right there beside you." He smiled to ease her worries. "And Dad and I will always be here for you. Anyone tries to give you trouble and we’ll just send you to school with some nice, poisoned cupcakes. Sound fair?"

Her green eyes sparkled with mischief. "Laxative cakes?"

Dean winked. "You know it, kiddo."

\- - - - -

Cas didn't say a word when Dean mumbled that he was going for a ride.

They lived just far enough outside of town that the girls were required to ride the school bus. Dean and Cas had stood at the edge of the driveway and waved as Finn and Max stepped onto the bus holding tight to each other's hands. As soon as the bus pulled away, Dean pulled his keys from his pocket and headed for the Impala.

Castiel hadn't missed the glimpse of tears in his husband's eyes. And he knew that Dean's 'ride' would take him on the exact same route as the school bus. Cas shook his head, thankful that they had closed both the bakery and café for the day so that they could both deal with their first-day-of-school emotions.

He was in the middle of cleaning up the kitchen when there was a soft knock on the door, followed by the sound of it opening and closing.

"Cas? Dean?"

Mary. Cas smiled. "In the kitchen, Mom."

The matriarch of the Winchester family stepped into the kitchen looking just as graceful as ever. Cas sometimes swore that she never aged.

"Good morning, Cas." She gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before sitting on one of the barstools at the kitchen island. "I was hoping I could make it here in time to see the girls off, but Naomi called first thing wanting to chat about her slutty tramp of a daughter."

Cas set a cup of coffee in front of his mother-in-law and continued cleaning. "Well you didn't miss much more than Dean being a basket case. The girls were a little nervous, but I could tell they were also very excited."

"I can't believe they're already old enough to be going off to school." She took a sip of her coffee and stared down at the countertop. "Do you boys ever consider having more babies?"

Considering that most grandmothers were always demanding more grandchildren, Cas was actually surprised to hear Mary ask such a question. She had always left it up to Dean and Cas about kids or no kids, and how many. She was supportive of every decision without giving her own input on the matter. As she had once said, 'It's your marriage, and your life.'

Though the thought of more kids was always alluring, though in the back of his mind Castiel knew it wasn't a good idea. "We talked about it, when the girls were two. Even planned it out. The fact remained, no matter how we spun it, that we were blessed with two beautiful daughters that deserve the very best in attention and love." He finished cleaning and poured his own cup of coffee, but remained standing. "If we did try and we had one baby it wouldn't be a nice even number. Or, if we had twins again, we would be so overwhelmed with work and caring for four kids that one of us would have to stay home full time. Two was our perfect number."

Mary smiled. "They are pretty perfect, as far as children go. You're lucky you didn't have boys."

He laughed, his ears catching the sound of the Impala pulling into the driveway. "Speaking of troublesome boys. Sounds like Dean's journey behind the school bus has finally come to an end."

"He didn't!" she gasped. "He followed their bus to school?!"

"He did."

Cas turned, watching as Dean stepped in through the door connecting the garage and kitchen. His eyes were a little red, but Cas loved him enough not to call him out on it.

"Hey, Mom." Dean gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before walking over to where Cas stood. "A bit cold out there. Think we might have an early fall."

Castiel held out his mug and Dean took a quick sip before handing it back and leaning forward to kiss his lips. Though the kiss was soft and chaste, Cas could sense the worry and emotion behind it. When they broke apart, he set his cup aside and wrapped his arms around Dean's waist.

"I better head out," Mary offered, obviously catching on that the two needed time alone. "Naomi wants me to come over and bake with her for the day. Have the girls call me later and fill me in on their day!"

Dean and Cas said goodbye but didn't move or pull apart. When the front door clicked shut behind Mary, Castiel finally spoke. "Did they make it inside okay?"

"Yes. Sam was out front, as promised. They gave him a hug and he lead them inside."

Cas looked up to see tears in Dean's eyes once more. He smiled sadly and kissed his husband's cheek. "It's all right. The first day of kindergarten doesn't mean they'll be looking for apartments tomorrow."

"It sure fucking feels like it," Dean mumbled with a groan.

"Well, the good news is, even when they reach that age... they will still need us." Cas poked Dean's side and pulled away. His tone softened as he joked, "At least, they'll still need me. I'm not quite sure what they’ll need you for."

He received a glare and a five second head start before Dean chased him out of the kitchen.

Somehow, a few hours snuggled in bed naked pushed Dean's worries to the backburner of his mind.


	15. Chapter 15

_I suggest we imbibe copious amounts of alcohol._

Sandwich of the Day: Chronos' favorite—only available for a limited time!

\- - - - -

A parent could tell themselves over and over that they had ample time to spend with their children before they were grownups. The truth of the matter was time flew by quickly, and kids grew up even quicker.

In what Castiel would always refer to as 'the blink of an eye', both Finn and Max grew into strong women that made their fathers proud every day. There had been struggles, obviously, like the time in eighth grade that calm, shy Finn got kicked out of school when she stood up to a bully for a friend and broke the kids’ arm. Or when Max took the Impala and ran away for a month because she had an argument with Dean over the necessity of a good college education.

The girls were strong, independent, and loyal. They protected people in need, challenged authority, and through everything maintained a beautiful friendship.

When collegiate pursuits drove them apart, Cas held a crying Finley for two hours. It wasn't her fault that she got accepted into UC Berkeley and Max did not, he explained. It had been inevitable that they would have to go down separate paths. And it wasn't like they would be too far apart, with Maxwell going to Arizona State. They would survive, make new friends, and still have each other through it all.

Standing in a downtown San Francisco hotel, Castiel couldn't believe that moment had been four years prior. He fixed his tie in the bathroom mirror, feeling a melancholy mood setting over him. His daughters were both going to be college graduates.

"You know, I'm glad I married you," Dean stated, walking up to stand behind Cas in the mirror. He was already dressed in his own dark gray suit and silver tie. "The thought of missing out on seeing you with salt and pepper hair still makes me shudder."

Castiel shifted his elbow so that it hit his husband lightly in the ribs. "Shut up! I can't help that I'm a sexy DILF." He subconsciously ran a hand through his hair. Thankfully, he wasn't losing any—he would definitely rather go gray than bald. But the fact that Dean and his ever gray-resistant hair could tease him about it drove Cas insane. "Don't make me buy that Just for Men shit just to spite you."

Leaning forward, Dean chuckled and kissed at the back of his neck. "Stop thinking you aren't sexy. I guarantee that none of the other fathers there today will look as good as you do."

"They’d better not."

\- - - - -

'I wish you were here. I'm so fucking nervou,.' Finley typed out onto her phone. She sent the text message off to her twin sister with a soft sigh. It wasn't fair that her own graduation was being held early and prevented Max from being there. She knew it was selfish—Maxwell deserved to have time for her finals without worrying about trips to California—but they had gone through every major milestone in life together. The thought of something so big as college graduation passing by without Max there made her sick.

"Oh my God, Finn, stop panicking."

She looked up at the words and forced a nervous smile when she saw her girlfriend Allie step closer. They were in a large hall, filled to capacity with the other graduates that would soon be walking out to the arena for the the graduation ceremony.

Allie pulled her into a hug, but it wasn't enough to reassure Finn's stomach. She reached a hand up out of habit and tugged at a loose curl of dark hair that peaked out from under her cap. "I just wish she could be here, Al." She checked her phone for a reply from Max. Nothing. "I haven't seen her since Christmas!"

"Wow, five months? Really? I thought you saw her at Spring Break." Allie pulled back, fixing her gown so that she looked presentable once more.

"She was sick," Finn whispered. "Said she didn't feel up to traveling home."

The screen on her phone lit up and she felt a moment of hope, until she saw that it was from her dad. 'Popsicle and I are sitting three rows up from section 11. Knock 'em dead, rockstar.'

She sighed, turning her phone off as the graduates began to file out.

\- - - - -

"This is a mess," Dean grumbled after the ceremony. The crowd around them buzzed with parents and students, all excited and searching for familiar faces. He held on tight to Cas' hand, thankful they had set up a spot where they would meet Finn so they didn't have to search for her in the crowd.

He clutched a bouquet of wildflowers as they finally made it to their designated spot and turned to watch for their daughter.

"She did amazing, didn't she?" Cas observed, in reference to the small speech that Finn had given. The honor was one she had earned after being nominated by all of her instructors.

Dean smiled. "She was. As always." He watched the crowd, trying to pick out familiar features on the faces that passed by. When he finally did, his heart skipped a beat and he dropped Castiel's hand. "Maxwell!" he called, shoving the flowers at his husband before hurrying into the crowd. Cas obviously hadn't seen her—because he followed—but he looked completely confused. Dean called out once more, finally gaining the girl's attention.

She turned, and the smile on her face matched Dean's. He hurried towards her, pushing people aside as he finally arrived in front of his daughter and wrapped his arms around her. He picked her up and swung her around, not caring that his back would be sore the next day. She was there!

"Hi Daddy." She finally managed when he set her back on the ground.

He pulled her close again and kissed her cheek a few times. "It's so wonderful to see you, Max."

Cas finally arrived where they were standing and shoved Dean out of the way so that he could give her an equally loving hug. When Dean had a moment to step back and take in the sight of his daughter, he finally noticed it.

It was subtle, but it was there. Beneath the straight blonde hair that fell down her back, the bright green eyes that matched her father's, and the happy smile of a girl seeing her parents for the first time in five months—there was a very definite change. And it slapped him in the face.

He continued to smile as he watched Cas pull away from her—he wanted to see if his husband would see it too. He apparently didn't, because he immediately started asking questions about Max's finals and how she had gotten to California and how long she would be staying.

Nope, Cas didn't see it.

"Maxwell?!"

They all three turned and watched as Finn hurried towards them excitedly. Dean watched and, sure enough, as soon as she got just a couple feet away from her sister, Finn stopped suddenly and her eyes went wide. She saw it.

"Holy shit!" Finn gasped. She was frozen in place, ignorant of the crowds around her and even her parents standing there. She just stared at Max. "Holy shit!"

Castiel frowned and nudged Dean's arm. "Leave it to your daughter to stand in a crowd and start yelling out curses."

Dean held up a hand to silence his husband, as he smirked knowingly. Everyone knew. Everyone except Cas.

"Is that all you're going to say?" Max asked. Suddenly the roles were reversed, because she ducked her head—embarrassed and shy for one of the first times in her life.

Finn just laughed. "I guess that explains why I've been feeling sick."

The girls finally hugged and Dean watched happily for a moment, before turning to face Cas. His husband was finally realizing that he was missing something.

"What just happened?" Cas asked.

Dean smirked. "Nothing important, Grandpa."


	16. Chapter 16

_I swear the next person that asks me if I'm okay, I'm going to start throwing punches!_

Sandwich of the Day: The Ghoul - Dead or Alive, you'll want to try it!

\- - - - -

After graduation, Finley had an internship with an engineering firm that took her to Seattle. Maxwell took a different road—the one that lead back home.

She sat on the sofa in the living room of her childhood home, legs propped up and hair on the top of her head in a lazy bun. She had tried to get an internship, like her sister, but it wasn't exactly easy in her current condition. Not many places wanted a pregnant chick with a journalism degree wandering around their offices.

Max was content, though. Swollen belly and all.

There was a knock on the front door and she frowned, contemplating who would be visiting, and whether or not it was worth it to get up and greet them. Thankfully, she didn't have to worry for long because the door swung open and she watched across the room as her uncle stepped inside the house.

His eyes landed on her immediately and he smirked. "What's up, little miss?" He shut the door and moved toward her, easily letting his large frame fall onto the sofa next to her. "How's the next generation brewing?"

"Slow and steady," she answered, giving her uncle a smile. Her hand found her stomach and rested softly against it. The baby's father had refused to step up, and she couldn't say that she was exactly torn up about it since he had proven to be an asshole after only a couple months of dating. Maxwell knew that she had a good enough support system that she could survive as a single parent. "Moves a lot. Feels like I swallowed a colony of butterflies."

"Butterflies don't live in colonies."

"What the fuck ever," she groaned.

Sam laughed, leaning over to let his head rest on her shoulder. "You sound like your dad when you do that."

\- - - - -

"You know—I'm not sure I'm ready for this," Castiel said.

They were in the back of their café/bakery—which was essentially the same space that they had had so many years before, but it had since been converted into one shop with the dividing wall being demolished. Heaven + Hell. Their slogan was quite simple: pick your pleasure.

Dean looked up and across the room from where he was putting together sandwiches, to where Cas was mixing up a batch of cupcakes. "The whole grandpa thing?"

Cas glared. "Yes." He began throwing the ingredients into the mixer a little harder. "I don't want to be a grandfather! I figured we had at least another five years before they would settle down and start thinking about having babies."

Though Dean had to admit he wasn't excited about the thought of being called 'Grandpa' (or heaven forbid... ‘Gramps’), he was excited for Maxwell. Mostly because _she_ was excited about the whole thing. She had taken the news in stride and seemed to be handling it all like a champ. And sure, he would like to give the guy that impregnated his daughter and then ran a terribly good beatdown, but Max had explained that the guy was an ass and she had given him the boot before she even found out about the baby.

"What are you smirking about?!" Cas asked, staring at Dean like he was insane. "Our baby is having a baby in under four months!"

Dean set down the knife he'd been using to slather mayo on bread, and moved over to where his husband stood. He reached to shut the mixer off, and took the spatula from Cas' hand so that he could set it aside. Once Castiel's hands were free, Dean pulled him close and wrapped his arms around the other man's waist.

"Are we maybe, just a little bit, having a 'little past mid-life' crisis over this whole matter?" Castiel bristled and tried to pull away because of the question. Dean just held him tighter and leaned forward to kiss his nose. "No matter how many grandbabies we have, no matter how many gray hairs are sprinkled on our heads.... I will always love you. And you will always be the hottest guy I know."

Blue eyes dropped to the floor and a pout creased over his face—Dean felt no choice but to kiss the pout away.

\- - - - -

On August first, Dean and Cas had officially been married for twenty-five years. It was the first anniversary that they didn't celebrate.

Hell, they didn't even realize that it was their anniversary. They had more important things to worry about.

"It's my turn!"

"It _is_ not. I just got him!"

Finn scooted closer to her sister on the hospital bed as they watched their fathers fighting over their newborn grandson. She whispered softly, so that only Max could hear, "Do you think they fought like this over us?"

Max giggled, resting her head on her sister's shoulder. "Oh I'm sure that's why they had twins." A sleepy smile crossed her face. "We're probably the luckiest kids alive. And I'm glad that Jude and I will get to live with them a while, so that Jude can feel that love the way that we did."

Dean looked towards the girls and gave them a smile, even as he continued to argue with Cas over whose turn it was to hold the baby. Finley reached up, running her hands through Max's hair and letting her sister lull into sleep against her. Childbirth was not easy and Maxwell had done amazing—she deserved a nap.


	17. Chapter 17

_I'd never leave my domestic partner in crime._

Sandwich of the Day: Make your own! (Café for sale...)

\- - - - -

Dean supposed it was bound to happen eventually. He was old, Cas was old, and it was well past time that they let someone else handle the stress of running Heaven + Hell. When they signed the papers and officially gave up ownership, he turned to his gray-haired husband and said solemnly, "I am not moving to Florida."

"But I already booked our trip!" Castiel teased, reaching his hand out to rest it on Dean's thigh.

All he could do was grumble, unhappy with the thought of being too old to continue working. He didn't play golf, he hated bingo… what exactly were they going to do with all of their free time?

As they walked out of the realtor’s office, he smirked, finally realizing what he wanted to do. "We should buy stock in Viagra."

Cas slapped at his shoulder. "Dirty old man!"

\- - - - -

It took three months to visit family. Long, 'I'm going to kill you if you don't leave now' visits. Afterwards, Dean and Cas sat in their home and stared at each other for a week, trying to decide what they could possibly do to keep themselves busy for the rest of their lives.

"I have an idea," Castiel finally said, one day while they were playing cards with Sam. Sam, of course, was still teaching and did nothing more than laugh at their constant struggle to find a good enough hobby to sustain them.

"Yeah?" Dean glanced up only briefly. "What's that?"

He frowned, unsure about speaking the words. It was something he had always wanted to do, but had put off because of one significant issue... "We could travel the world."

Sam snorted and placed a card in the 'discard' pile. "Going to have a hard time managing that in the Impala. Girl already has quite a few miles on her, and isn't quite retrofitted for water travel."

Despite Sam's joking, Dean had finally taken his attention off of his cards and focused it solely on his husband. He hated to fly, and he had never even fathomed doing something so wild and adventurous...

But.

He would rather die on a plane than rot slowly in his home with nothing to do. "I'm in."

\- - - - -

They sold the house. Gave the Impala to Jude. And they bought tickets to London.

With a healthy bank account from not only their retirement savings, but also the sales of both the restaurant and the house they could easily travel the world for a year and still have enough to settle down with when they got home.

There was no plan. If they saw some place they wanted to go, they went. If someone suggested visiting a certain city or country, they did. They spent three months on the beaches in Spain. Two weeks helping sick children in Kenya. One very long day on a bus in India.

... And two long, beautiful years in Australia.

The only part of the word 'retirement' that fit them was 'tire' because they never stopped; never tired of experiencing new things with each other.

When they finally made it back to the States, the children and grandchildren had aged, but not much else had changed. They rented a condo near Finley's home in Southern California... and they learned how to play golf.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Every good story requires an 'end' - including this one. Up until this point you have experienced every aspect of Dean and Castiel's life. Chapter 18 brings that wonderful life story to a close. It is equal parts heartwrenching and lovely. I cried, I'll admit.
> 
> I did NOT add the dreaded 'Character Death' tag to this story, because that is not what it's about and in all honesty I didn't want to scare people away when the close of Dean and Cas' life together is so lovely.
> 
> THAT BEING SAID: I want to make it clear that this is the end, and if you can't handle the sad, please leave this chapter (well glance at the art) and assume that Dean and Cas spent the rest of eternity playing golf in California.

_Last memory, eh? Glad I saved the best for last._

Sandwich of the Day: Our Last (It just might be a little bittersweet.)

\- - - - -

In room 108 of Shady Oaks the two bitchiest men of the assisted living facility resided together. They flirted with every nurse that walked into their room male and female alike. They complained about the crappy television and the even crappier food. And on a good day, if you asked about their grandchildren they would happily sit and tell you about all six of them... and even the two great-grandbabies that had been born the year before.

Their hair was white (and definitely not as fluffy as those days when they were younger), their hips hurt in the rain, and their daughters didn't visit nearly as often as they would have hoped. But they were happy because, like it had been for over half of their lives, they were together.

They couldn't remember every moment or every kiss, but they had thankfully lucked out and not lost everything like some of their friends had when they had gotten older.

"You still suck at cards," Dean groaned, throwing down the full house he held in his hands. "It's hardly worth playing against you."

Castiel rolled his eyes and put another piece of candy in his mouth. "Stop bitching and call Scott in here to play with you then. I’m sure your boyfriend would be up for a round of strip poker."

His husband snorted. "Oh, if only I had the stamina for that shit."

They left the cards, deciding instead to find a few nurses to tease—or even to bug the crazies in the memory care wing that didn't know right from wrong. That was Dean's favorite thing to do.

Three years passed at Shady Oaks. Long enough that the nurses stopped complaining about pranks being pulled and just warned new staff members that 'Room 108 might get a little crazy sometimes'.

On a snowy day in December, Dean laid in bed curled up against his husband. He whispered gently into the night. "If I were to describe heaven, it would be spending another lifetime with you."

Room 108 became vacant on a Tuesday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking this lovely ride with me. I hope you enjoyed 'The Story' of Dean and Castiel Winchester.


End file.
